Position Statements

The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) upholds a set of values based in social democracy, social justice and environmental justice. These values guide HSAA in taking positions on issues that arise on an ongoing basis. Our position statements align with our mission, vision, values and strategic plan.

HSAA is affiliated with the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and its subordinate bodies โ€“ the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) and the various District Labour Councils across Alberta.

To learn more about the mission and strategic plan that guide HSAA, click here.

On this page you can review the web version of our position statements. A PDF file can also be downloaded.

Position Statement 24 - First Contract Arbitration

HSAA believes that the Alberta Labour Relations Code must mandate arbitration as the dispute mechanism used when impasse is reached between the union and the employer in bargaining first contracts.

Rationale:

After a successful union drive, workers in a bargaining unit have the right to have a collective agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of their employment.

Without first contract arbitration legislation, employers have been known to draw out the bargaining process in an attempt to reach an open period without a negotiated contract having been ratified, thereby giving them a better argument to make a decertification argument to the bargaining unit workers.

HSAA recognizes the provisions for first-contract arbitration that were legislated by the Alberta Government in An Act to Implement a Supreme Court Ruling Governing Essential Services in 2016 and demands that this remains the rule of law in Alberta.

Approved at May 2018 Convention